No-confidence motion: PM Imran Khan directs NA speaker to move ECP against PTI dissidents

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has directed National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser to move the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for legal action and de-notification of the PTI’s dissidents, media reported.

The directives came during a meeting of party spokespersons Thursday, with the prime minister in the chair, according to the publication, as the political temperature in the country rises after several ruling party members publicly announced to vote as per their conscience on the no-trust motion against the premier.

PM Imran Khan also asked the NA speaker to initiate legal action against the dissident MNAs of the party after it emerged that around 24 members were staying at the Sindh House — a move that plunged the country into political chaos.

The PTI members are residing at the Sindh House ahead of the voting on the no-confidence motion, claiming they are “fearful” for their lives if they vote against the premier.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Adviser to Prime Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan, Industries and Production Minister Khusro Bakhtyar, Leader of the House for the Senate Shahzad Waseem, Energy Minister Hammad Azhar, Science and Technology Minister Shibli Faraz, state minister Farrukh Habib, SAPM on Political Affairs Amir Dogar attended the meeting held at the PM House.

The meeting discussed legal action against the disgruntled parliamentarians in detail, per the publication.

The prime minister told the participants that it was “clearly” written in the Constitution that a parliamentarian could be de-notified through the legal process for violating the party policy.

The PM said he would continue fighting till the last ball and would not spare any dissident. He said that huge money from Sindh was being used to purchase loyalties of the PTI MNAs.

He said how come three woman MNAs, elected on reserved seats, could go against the party policy, adding he would not come under pressure through the Opposition’s blackmailing and asked the meeting participants to remain relaxed, and on March 28, all would come to know that the no-confidence had failed.

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